To you Little, my little.............. gfxavier

Remember, my little, remember

You tasted ‘snickers’

Smelled ‘Philip Morris’

Why little, why you took me to heavens?

Oh my God…….

Never can I forget the heavenly musings,

Musings of love she whispered to my ears.

Tell me my little,

How we forget the times at Eiffel tower,

Jacob’s well-------

You weaved my life with your breath

But your dreams are high and wide

Am a man with given dreams

My dreams are cast into a mould by someone else

I just can’t have my way

You painted my dreams

Made me jump out my closed chambers

And you rocked me to sleep,

The night I felt secure.

You watered the desert

The bush grew hard

Why little, you cropped the bush,

The bush of my dreams.

The thick bristles pain me.

Little, this is killing me.
Now, You go far away from me

How far you go,

I am with you feeling the breath,

Never close and never crossing the edge

You go and you are to go

Some day we all must go off the world

Your breath and my breath united will stay

Long and long in the skies.

Tell me my little, tell me why

Why does love pain me?
How can I play this memory off?

Leaf on the river ............... g f xavier

Oh life………. Oh my life……..

People say life is pretty.

No, it’s not the same.

It’s true, it’s not beautiful for me.

Life is just a rock n roll.

My life on a leaf floating on the river…..

Am dancing on the leaf…

It’s just a leaf and how long it can float?

And how long so…?

Making slow steps, its sinking……

Am quiet on the leaf, still it sinks.

The wind chimes and I need a move to dance

But my life, leaf sinks.

Oh my life sinks.

Storm in the water

Still my life sinks….

A leaf on the river, so is my life

Oh life……..

Am sitting on the leaf

Like a floating island, it moves east and west, north and south.

It’s just a leaf on the river

a fallen leaf on the river

Anything you do, it sinks and sinks…..

How long can it float? Tell me………..

Will this leaf see tomorrow? Tell me…………

Religious significance of Umayyad Mosque. (part VII in the series about the Grand Mosque of Damascus)

The mosque had a pre-islamic religious sacredness and it was explained in short under the title ‘History of the Ground’.

Remains of Prophet Yahia (John the Baptist) were incorporated within the mosque. Zayd Ibn al-Waqid, who was the head in chief of the works on the Mosque, discovered the scull of Prophet Yahia in a nearby cave and Caliph al-Walid ordered it to be reburied in one of the Mosque piers known as Amud al-Sakasik. One legend says that when the church was demolished, his head was found underneath, complete with skin and hair. This head is believed by some to possess magical powers and continues to be the focus of the Mandaeans' annual pilgrimage, when they press their foreheads against the metal grill of the shrine and reportedly experience prophetic visions.Today these relics lay in a Maqsura in the eastern half of the sanctuary.

The black and white marble columns that support the dome of al-Nasr (the dome in front of the mihrab) belonged to the throne of Bilqis, the queen of Saba. There are unsubstantiated claims that the mosque contains a stone belonging to the rock which Moses struck and from which 12 fountains erupted. The eastern minaret (called the white minaret or the Minaret of Issa) is believed to be the place where Prophet Issa (Jesus) will descend.

The presence of the original copy of the Quran, one of the three copies the Caliph Uthman compiled directly from the Prophet's Companions’ recitations is another element of religious importance of the Great Ummayyad Mosque.

The Umayyad mosque is considered to be the fourth holiest sanctuary of Islam, after the three Harams of Makkah, al-Madinah, and Jerusalem. Barry Flood quotes in his article ‘Umayyad revivals and Mamluk survivals’ from MJ. Kister, '"You Shall Only Set Out for Three Mosques': A Study of an Early Tradition," Le Musion 82 (1969): 188-89. ‚The sanctity of the mosque, derived largely from its association with the Islamic conquest of Syria, is reflected in a tradition ascribed to the eighth-century traditionist, Sufyan al-Thauri. According to it, the value of one prayer in Mecca is equal to one

hundred thousand prayers anywhere else, in the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina to fifty thousand prayers, in the Aqsa mosque of Jerusalem to forty thousand prayers, and in the Great Mosque of Damascus to thirty thousand prayers‘.

Fall in love again

(Music video by Jody Watley performing Looking For A New Love. (C) 1987 Geffen Records)

Losing something always pains. All the more if it is love, you feel the break up more deep inside. It started with excitement and fun and at last ended up in anarchy. But, how to come out of this pain? Consider it as a period of trial and error. Commit to get out. Fall in love in the next given occasion, do not wallow in the lost opportunity.  Occasions will not come on your way. So seize the opportunities. Battle it out. Rebuilding love is not a quick fix issue.  What matters is how fast and successful you get it. It’s simple. 

If you lose out in love, fall in love again. Loss of love can only be cured by love. It is the method of sending the old wounds to gallows. If you lose a match, win the next one with more force. Life is a blackboard with lessons. The failures are immediately erased. Do not keep the old failures alive in the form of resentment, anger, bitterness and mistrust. The important points remain long inscribed. Underline the gains again and again.

Are you hurt once? Do not leave and run away. Find the cure in the same line of events. Learn the ways to outdo the ones who hurt you. Life is a battlefield. You are under threat till the death. Walk straight amidst the ones who defeated you and show them the steel. No one is born to fail and lose. Do not look weak and desperate. Do not brood over the lost relationship. Throw away your memory by kicking off the bad feelings reeling over your head. They will be just mist and mellow of your past.

(Jason Castro - Let's Just Fall in Love Again, © 2009 WMG)

Changes and modification to this time. (part VI in the series about the Grand Mosque of Damascus)

• The Mosque has been a subject of many additions and restoration works that included the following:
• In year 715 Al-Walid built a maqsurah which enveloped the Mihrab and Minbar.
• In year 778 Al-Mahdi added the Treasury (Bayt -al-Mal) building,
• Between 1068-1069, the first fire consumed most of the mosque except the walls. The mosque was restored by the Suljuk leader Tutuch and his vizier Malik Shah between 1082-1083.
• In 1166 the second fire destroyed the eastern gate of Bab Jayrun.
• In 1174 Another fire consumed the northern minaret (Midhanat al- Arus)
• In 1202 an earthquake destroyed parts of the mosque.
• In 1206 The floor of the courtyard was redone.
• In 1214 the sanctuary floor was covered with marble.
• In 1216 some works were carried out on the dome.
• In 1247 the south east minaret was damaged by fire and was restored two years later.
• Between 1326-1328 the western wall of the sanctuary was rebuilt and decorated with mosaics.
• In 1401 the Mughals invaded the Mosque occupying its courtyard with their heavy machine guns and the whole mosque was transformed barracks for their army.
• In 1479 another fire consumed the western minaret, Bab Al-Ziyada and Bab al-Barid.
• In the 17th century the Minaret of Issa (Jesus, PBUH) was rebuilt.
• In 1893 another fire ruined most of the building especially the sanctuary. It was restored to its full glory, including the replacement of most of columns and dome, between 1904 and 1910.

Ein Epilog zu dir......... (g f xavier)

Br. Waldemar Weber hinterließ ein Vermächtnis und eine Reihe von Schokoladen. Der liebste "Naughty Boy" in unserer Gemeinschaft hat uns heute Morgen verlassen und hinterließ eine Menge Lektionen zum Nachdenken über die Kapuziner Weg des Lebens.

Es war kein gutes neues Jahr für Waldemar, obwohl er allen Alles Gute gewünscht hat. Er fiel aus dem Bett und am nächsten Tag fand er sich mit dem Herrn. Er berührte, erlebte, segnete, und nahm mit ihm 2011. Auch wenn er auf einen Rollstuhl wegen der Amputation seines linken Beines angewiesen war, lebte er als energischer Mönch, arbeitete er in der Küche, kam er pünktlich zum Gebet, mit viele reine Witze verbreitete er viel Fröhlichkeit. Er nahm an den Übungen der Gemeinschaft regelmäßig teil, mehr als jede andere. Ich muss sagen, er hatte mehr als ich Anteil an den Gebetszeiten. Er lebte in der Heiligkeit eines echten Kapuziners, arbeitete im Garten, Küche und als ein wahrer Bruder für die Gemeinschaft auf dem Franciskus' Weg.  In seiner Einfachheit verherrlicht er den Herrn. Er gehört zu der seltenen vom Aussterben bedrohten Rasse, ein Prototyp zur Heiligen Vaters Franziskus. Er lebte, aß, trank und atmete praktischen Franziskanismus.

Zu dir Waldemar sage ich, wir, deine Mitbrüder singen und loben heute den Herrn und in der Hoffnung, dass wir an einem Tag den Herrn von Angesicht zu Angesicht sehen, wie du jetzt ihm siehst. Du warst ein echtes Vorbild für uns. Ich schulde dir so viel in den letzten 100 Tagen mit dir in der Nähe von meinem Zimmer. Ich erinnere mich noch, dass du mir gesagt hast, „Ich komme in Zwei Tagen mit euch zurück zu dem Chor, als ich dich gefragt habe, 'wann wirst du wieder bei uns sein?‘ Aber du kamst nie zurück. Heute Morgen sah ich deinen Rollstuhl direkt vor deinem Zimmer, aber wo warst du? Heute Morgen hörte ich nur die Stimme des Br. Nikolaus von der Kranken-Kapelle her, wo warst du?...... Br. Raymund hat mir gesagt, dass Schwester Tod dich schon geküsst hat. Aber wann kann ich wieder den Rollstuhl nach der Vesper schieben? Wann kann ich dein Selbstgespräch um Mitternacht aus dem Nebenzimmer hören? Können Sie noch einmal schreien und rufen nach Damasus, beim Geschirr  waschen? Nur um an dich zu erinnern, sind deine Diaketik-Schokoladen noch dort im Schrank.

Waldemar, ich vermisse dich.

To you, Waldemar...........

Br. Waldemar Weber left behind a legacy and a bunch of chocolates.  The most loved ‘naughty boy’ in our community left us today morning, leaving behind a lot of lessons to ponder, especially to me, about the capuchin way of life.

It was not a pretty good new year for him, even though he wished everyone good. He fell down from the bed and the next day he is with the Lord. He touched, witnessed, blessed, and took with him 2011. Even though he was on a wheel chair, due to the amputation of his left leg ten years earlier, he lived as an energetic friar working in the kitchen, being punctual for prayer, cracking jokes and participating in the community exercises regularly than anyone else. Needless to say, he had more attendance than me in Prayer times. He lived in the holiness of a true capuchin friar, working in the garden, kitchen and as a true brother for the community in Francis’ way. He was also a good painter. In his simplicity he glorified the Lord. He belongs to the rare breed in extinction, a prototype to Holy Father Francis. He lived, ate, drank and breathed practical franciscanism.

 To you Waldemar, we the friars are around you today singing praises to the Lord and rejoicing in the Lord in the hope of joining you one day to see the Lord face to face like you. You were a true model to us. I owe you so much the last 100 days having you near to my room. I still remember you telling me that you will be back with us in the Choir in two days, whenever I asked you, ‘when will you be back with us?’ But you never came back. Today morning I saw your wheel chair just in front of your room, but where were you? Today morning I heard only the voice of Br. Nicholaus from the Kranken Kapelle, where were you? Br. Raymund told me that Sister death had already kissed you. But when can I again push your wheel chair after the Vespers? When can I hear your murmurs at midnight from the next room? Can you once again howl calling Damasus, when we wash our dishes?  Just to remind you, your chocolates are still there in the cupboard.

Do you set goals this year?

It’s again January and the resolves come along with it. It is the time of positive aura, as the 95% of the population expect and think positive to have a very fruitful year ahead. They make promises after promises. They believe that setting goals are a great way to begin a year. Why achievement is the only thought? Do achievements alone bring satisfaction and happiness? “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly”. John F Kennedy.

It is a usual scene every year ending to see depressed faces but again the same persons with hopeful bright faces with new resolutions. The new resolutions do not live more than a month usually. February is the month for every new decision to be broken and to just end up again at the year end with a dull and sad face.

But my request this year is not to set goals. There is a beauty in naturalness. Try not to ne systematic and logical. A well-planned, set life destroys the thrill and naturallity in your life. Goals are rarely achieved. More than the satisfaction, it invites sadness, depression an illness at the second quarter of the year. Avoid the depressive face all through the year by just running away from the artificial intelligent Gurus who insist on setting goals and making people to be artificially positive. Do not plan but believe in the love at first sight forms of life. Face the life as it comes.

 As we embark on the New Year, my advice is just to face reality and be real. Life is a river and let us start believing in the flow.  In Andrew Jackson’s words, “One man with courage makes a majority”. In this world of artificial intelligence, positive thinkers and leadership gurus, be natural, cool and rhythmic.

Do you still set goals this year?